→←News→#JourneyToTokyo – The PACC three-pack: Adelaide club celebrates Paralympic trio
#JourneyToTokyo – The PACC three-pack: Adelaide club celebrates Paralympic trio
Aug 23, 2021
A dynamic trio with ambitions born out of the City of Churches and Port Adelaide Cycling Club will take on the might of the world over the next fortnight at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
Road and track cyclists Paige Greco and Meg Lemon will line up in the green and gold at the Izu Velodrome during the first block of cycling competition, before joining fellow PACC Paralympian Grant Allen at the Fuji International Speedway in the races for gold on the roads of Japan.
For Greco, Lemon and Allen, their journey to Tokyo can be traced back to the Port Adelaide Cycling Club (PACC), a club with inclusivity at the forefront of their ethos.
PACC was established in 1885 and has faithfully and proudly served the Adelaide cycling community for more than 130 years.
PACC has been the home club of many internationally renowned cyclists, including multiple Olympic champion Anna Meares, 2004 Olympic gold medallist and 2007 Paris-Roubaix winner Stuart O'Grady, 1984 Olympic gold medalist Mike Turtur, as well as numerous world champions, national champions and Olympic representatives since the club’s inception.
PACC is well-known nationally for their para-cycling programs and success, a fact current PACC president Mark Gregory credits to the club’s inclusive vision.
“The vision we have in relation to all cyclists is that of diversity, we haven’t had a specific para initiative as such,” Gregory said.
“It’s been quite an organic process. We have provided racing for para-cyclists to race alongside able-bodied athletes for a number of years now, and I think that’s just shown a commitment to diversity in a number of areas be it women-only sessions or junior sessions.
“The notion of where para-cyclists sit is deep within our mission to be an inclusive club and we see diversity as the outcome of being inclusive.
“I work in the diversity space and sometimes we talk about diversity and inclusion (are linked) – PACC is now flipping that notion on its head by believing that if you are inclusive, diversity will occur.”
PACC’s Tokyo 2020 Paralympic trio will all be making their first appearance at the games as part of the 12-rider Australian team.
31-year-old Lemon first started cycling as a form of rehabilitation from a motor vehicle accident and a way to face a fear.
“I immediately felt a sense of freedom and found purpose in life, when I didn’t have a lot else,” Lemon said.
“Now cycling is not just a way to race around the world for a chance to make the Paralympics, but has been a valuable form of brain neuro-plasticity, helped my social skills, mental health (saved my life), and has allowed me to network and now grow confidence in returning to work in the sport and nutrition field.”
Progressing in her cycling journey, Lemon joined PACC when she felt the urge to go racing.
“The majority of the other para-cyclists and friends I rode with were with PACC, so I was encouraged to join PACC. They also seemed really encouraging of allowing all levels and all types of people to give cycling and racing a go, for example enabling para-cyclists to race and join events (where some other clubs wouldn’t), so that was encouraging,” she said.
“PACC hasn’t always been directly involved in my cycling career, but they helped connect me to people and allowed me to do local racing, practice for World Cups and World Championships, and develop skills and confidence.”
Greco, the second-youngest member of the Australian Paralympic cycling team, experienced a similar path to the ranks of PACC after moving to Adelaide in 2018 to further her cycling career.
“Most of the para-cyclists that I trained with were with Port Adelaide and said it was a great club,” Greco said.
“This is where I joined PACC and started in club racing. A year later I made my first Track World Championship team and became world champion in the C3 500m time trial and C3 3km individual pursuit, as well as becoming the world champion in the C3 time trial later a few months later.
Greco attributes a portion of her early success in para-cycling to PACC’s Loz Shaw, who supported the 24-year-old in the initial period of her career and helped Greco achieve her first world champion rainbow jersey.
Allen said PACC’s Gemma Kernich had also been a significant help in his path to the Paralympics.
“Gemma is great in so many ways. She’s helped make parts for my bike and she’s entered me into events when I’ve been late and slack to enter, thanks Gemma - you’re awesome,” Allen said.
“Mark (Gregory) and Paula (Hollamby) are also phenomenal with all that they do and have done for the club in so many ways.
“PACC are great as they accept the fact that as much as I’m different, I’m still the same.
“The fun, community feel as well as the fact they support para-cycling is what drew me to PACC.”
Gregory paid tribute to the trio as amazing ambassadors for the club, AusCycling and the Paralympic movement.
“PACC is extremely proud of Paige, Meg and Grant,” he said.
“We see Paralympics, we see Olympics, we see World Championships and we see Commonwealth Games – and I always say that it’s great to see that PACC is involved.
“The PACC community is strong and it’s international.
“I’m extremely proud to have soon-to-be Paralympians based in our club representing their country in Tokyo.
“It’s fantastic to see.”